Coal-washer.



No. 811,871. PATBNTED FEB. 6, 1906. G. S. RAMSAY. GOAL WASHER.

APPLIGATION FILED ooT.1o. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Ylll III elfroznm No. 81L87l. PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906. G. S. RAMSAY. GOALWASHER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 10. 1903.

2 SHEBT-SHEET 2.

75a awww@ TTED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application filed October 10, 1903. Serial No. 176,569.

To @ZZ whom il? may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORG-E SHARPE RAM- sAY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Marys, in the county of Elk and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Coal-Washer, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The .invention relates to improvements in coal-washers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcoal washers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and e'llicient onecapable of automatically separating sulfur, slate, rock, bone, and otherheavy impurities from the coal and adapted to deliver the clean coalinto a bin or other receptacle and to discharge the refuse into asluice-chute or other receptacle for causing the said refuse to becarried away by water or gravity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coal-washer of thischaracter having a sluiceway which will not be corroded or similarlyinjured by the sulfur and other material contained in the coal.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of thecoal-washing means and to enable the water to be used again and againand at the same time permit the character of the washing to be readilyascertained.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of constructionWithin the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the upperportion of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lower portionof the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a similar View on the line 1 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 isa detail view of a portion of the lower spout or chute. Fig. 6 is adetail view illustrating the construction of the Scrapers.

Like numerals of reference designate correspend ing parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a sluice-boX supported by a suitable framework and composedof a bottom 2 and sides 3 and provided with a bottom lining 1, of plateglass or other suitable material of a similar nature which will not beaffected by the sulfur and other material found. .in coal, whereby thebottom of the sluice-box is prevented from corrod ing. The glasspresents a smooth hard surface and is free from irregularities and isadapted. to retain the true flush character and form of .its surfacelonger than wood or metal. The sides of the sluice-boX are alsoprovidedwith linings 5, which, however, may be constructed either of glass orsheet metal, as the sulfur and other material found in coal and liableto corrode the sheet metal will not contact sui'liciently with the sidelinings to require the same to be constructed of non-corrodiblematerial. The side linings 5 are inclined upwardly and outwardly, andany means may be provided for connecting the side and bottom linings to:form a water-tight joint or connection for preventing the sluicc boxfrom leaking. The bottom lining, besides bc- .ing non-corrodible,presents a smooth upper surface and will not be worn by the heavy refusematerial and the coal.

The sluice-box is arranged at a slight inclination, as clearlyillustrated :in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and the coal to becleaned is in the form of dust or powdered material and is delivered tothe sluice-box at a point between the ends thereof by means of acoalchute 6, arranged at an inclination and provided with an enlargedupper portion or hopper, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Within the sluice-box is arranged a lower flight of an endless conveyer,which is composed of a pair of endless chains 7 and transverse Scrapers8, arranged at intervals and connecting the chains. The chains areprovided at intervals with links 9, having projecting portions orbrackets 10, forming seats for the Scrapers. The projecting portions orbrackets consist of flanges arranged approximately at right angles and:forming a recess for the Scrapers. The brackets are located at thecenters of the links, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, whereby the Scrapersare caused to maintain a proper contact with the bottom of the sluicewayand are prevented from tilting the links, and thereby affecting suchcontact with the glass bottom. Each scraper consists of a body portion12, of hard Wood or other suitable material, a strip 13 of rubber or gumor other elastic material, and

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- a metallic strip 14, arranged on the outer face of the elastic stripfor protecting and supporting the same. The scraper is secured to theprojecting iianges of the brackets by bolts 15 or other suitablefastening devices, which pass through perforations of the projectingflanges and through the body portion of the scraper and the elasticmetallic strips. The Wooden body portion has its front face 16 inclinedbackward from the direction of ad- Vance of the scraper to receive theelastic strip, which is also inclined in the same direction, and thelower face 16a of the body por tion is spaced from the bottom of thesluiceway and is inclined. The inclined front or engaging portion of thescraper permits the coal to be fioated or carried over it by the waterand at the same time prevents any of the heavier material from escaping.The inclined sides 5 of the sluiceway prevent any clogging of thematerial, as any upward movement of the same caused by the Scrapers willoperate to loosen the material, owing to the gradual increase in widthof the sluiceway from the bottom to the top of the inclined sides. Byinclining the flexible strip backward from the direction of advance ofthe Scrapers there is a tendency to compress, as well as flex, theexposed projecting portion of the elastic strip, which is braced orstiffened and enabled to operate more effectively than a vertical strip,which would be easily bent or fiexed'backward. The elastic strip, whichprojects beyond the wooden body portion, has its edge engaging the glassbottom-lining and also the side linings, and it causes the water andcoal to flow over the Scrapers and pass downward to the lower end of thesluiceway, and at the same time the Scrapers carry forward or upward inthe opposite direction all deleterious material lying upon the bottom ofthe sluice-box. The water, which moistens and in a sense lubricates boththe glass bot-tom and the yieldable portion of the scraper, causes thelatter to adhere to the glass bottom, and as the projecting yieldableportion of the scraper is moved forwardly or upwardly along the saidbottom the glass is cleaned of all material lying upon it and notiioated over the scraper by the action of the water, and' such refusematerial will be carlied forward and effectually prevented from passingunder the Scrapers.

The endless chains are arranged on sprocket-wheels 17 and 1S, disposedin pairs at the ends of the sluice-box and mounted on suitable shafts 19and 20. The shafts 19 and 20 are journaled in suitable bearings of thesides of the sluice box, and any suitable power may be connected witheither of the shafts for operating the endless conveyer. Asprocket-wheel 19a is preferably mounted on the lower shaft 19, asindicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The sluice-box is provided at intervals `site ends of the apparatus.

with uprights 21, located at opposite sides of the sluiceway andsupporting transverse bars or beams 22, upon which are mounted op positelongitudinal stringers 23, provided at their upper faces with strips 24of steel or other suitable material. The strips of steel form guides forsupporting the upper flight of the endless conveyer and their terminalsare extended beyond the stringers and inclined downwardly, as shown at25, to prevent the links of the chains from catching on the ends of theguides. The sluicebox is provided at its upper portion with transversewater supply pipes 26, 27, and 28. lThe pipes 26 and 27, which are ofgreater diameter than the pipes 28, are connected with suitable meansfor pumping the water back again after the same has passed through thesluiceway, the water being designed to be used over and over again. Thesmaller pipe 28 is designed to supply clear water to enable the slate,which is carried upward by the con veyer, to bev readily examined toascertain whether the washer is working properly. The washer is providedbeneath the waterpipes with inclined plates or spreaders 30, consistingof inclined planes constructed of wood or other suitable material andadapted to receive and spread the water flowing from the water-supplypipes. The water-supply pipes may be provided with one or moreapertures, and the inclined spreading devices will cause the water tospread over the sluice-box and effectively wash the coal.

The lower end of the sluice-box is provided with an inclined chute orspout 31 for discharging clean coal into a bin or receptacle. Theinclined faces of the transverse Scrapers assist in iioating the coalover them, and as the heavy impuritiess-such as sulfur, slate, rock, andbone-sink to the bottom of the sluiceway the Scrapers will engage thesame and automatically separate such impurities from the coal bycarrying them forwardly or upwardly to a dischargeeopening 32. Thedischarge-opening 32 receives the upper end of an inclined chute or skid33, which extends downwardly for directing the refuse away from thesluice-box. By this means the refuse is discharged into Va sluice-chuteor other receptacle at one end of the apparatus, whereby the refuse iscarried away by water or gravity.

It will be seen that the coal-washer is ex- 1 ceedingly simple andinexpensive in construction, that it is capable of effectivelyseparating the heavy impuritiessuch as sulfur, slate, rock, andbone-from the coal, and that the j pure coal and the heavy impuritiesare carried in opposite directions and discharged at oppo- Also it willbe clear that the glass lining at the bottom of thesluiceway isnon-corrodible and at the same time presents asmooth surface, wherebythe bottom of the sluiceway is prevented IOO IIO

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from being corroded or worn by the sulfur and heavy impurities.Furthermore, it will be clear that the transverse scraper, whichconforms to the configuration of the lower portion of the sluiceway, isadapted to cause the water to flow over it and that the elastic stripsweeps the material forwardly and prevents any of the sulfur or otherheavy impurities from passing beneath it or around it.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A coal-washer, comprising a sluiceway, an endless belt or belts, andscrapers carried by the endless belt or belts and composed of a bodyportion arranged to clear the sluiceway, an inclined strip of yieldablematerial arranged on the front face of the body portion and inclinedbackwardly from the direction of advance of the Scrapers and having itsedge engaging the bottom of the sluiceway, and means for securing thestrip of yieldable material to the said body portion.

2. A coal-washer, comprising a sluiceway, sprocket-wheels, endlesschains having brackets arranged at intervals and provided with seats andprojecting flanges, and Scrapers mounted in the seats of the bracketsand supported by the ilanges thereol' and composed of a body portionarranged to clear the sluiceway and having its front inclined backwardfrom the direction of advance of the Scrapers, an inclined elastic striparranged on the front iace olE the body portion and supported by thesame and having its edges engaging and adapted to be flexed by thesluiceway, and means for supporting the elastic strip.

3. A coal-washer, comprising a sluiceway having a glass bottom-liningpresenting a smooth surface, an endless belt or belts provided withscrapers oi yielding material engaging the glass bottom, and means forfeeding material and Water to the sluiceway, whereby both the Scrapersand the glass bot* tom are wet and the former are caused to adhere tothe latter.

4. A coal-washer, comprising a sluiceway having a glass bottom-liningpresenting a smooth upper face, an endless belt or belts provided withScrapers operating in the sluiceway, said Scrapers being provided withrigid bottom portions, yielding projecting portions engaging the glasslining, and means for supplying water to the sluiceway.

5. A coal-washer, comprising a sluiceway provided with a smoothbottom-lining ol glass and having metallic side linings, an endless beltor belts provided with scrapers having projecting yieldable portions,the edges of the yieldable portions being engaged with the bottom andsides of the sluiceway, and means for supplying water to the sluiceway.

6. A coalwasher, comprising an inclined sluiceway, scrapers operating inthe sluiceway, a coal-chute discharging into the sluiceway,l and aplurality of water-supply pipes arranged in spaced relation between thecoalchute and the upper end of the sluiceway, one

of the pipes being of reduced diameter and discharging clear water intothe sluiceway near the upper end thereof to clarify the same and exposethe material carried by the Scrapers.

7. A coal-washer, comprising an inclined sluiceway, an endless belt orbelts provided with Scrapers operating in the sluiceway, andtransversely-disposed water-supply pipes of different diameters, thelarger pipe being adapted to discharge water which has been used, andthe smaller pipe being arranged at the upper portion of the sluicewayand discharging clear water to clarify the same and. to expose to viewthe material carried by the Scrapers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence ol two witnesses.

GEORGE SHARPE RAMSAY. Witnesses:

W. P. MULHERN, R. B. SIIAFFER.

